Any Info on This William Demuth?

[mikethompson]

Picked up this little beauty but know nothing about it. Definately an odd piece. The bowl looks brand new and has two draw holes at the bottom. Also it's made of a plastic like resin, not briar. The only markings are WDC in an inverted triangle, and 14kt Gold plated.
:puffpipe:

 

[mikethompson]

Wow did I really stump you guys?
From what I get from pipedia, they were pipe manufacturers from New York. There are several styles listed,but nothing like this one. Any guesses on what the material is?

 

[papipeguy]

Very interesting. My guess is that it's made from a phenolic resin, but just a guess.

 

[jguss]

That's a Bakelite socket pipe, dating from the mid twenties. In the wake of infringement litigation only a handful of pipe manufacturers were authorized to use the Bakelite and Redmanol product and their associated brand names. They included WDC (under the Drysmoke marque), M Linkman (Alco), LH Stern (Can't Burn Out), KBB (Superba and Blue Line), Reiss-Premier (Premier Socket Pipe), and SM Frank (Frank Fireproof).

 

[jguss]

That's far from exhaustive; just what I can remember while out of town on business. I know other lines existed (e.g. the WDC Triangle).

 

[mikethompson]

Thanks Jguss, definitely older thank had thought. It looks unused!

 

[ssjones]

An interesting piece of tobacciana for sure.

 

[cortezattic]

That's a great collectible/historic piece!

 

[jguss]

A few relevant trade ads from the United States Tobacco Journal:
http://pipesmagazine.com/members/jguss/album/picture/23695
http://pipesmagazine.com/members/jguss/album/picture/23696

 

[jguss]

Sorry, tried to do this on my phone while in transit; will tackle again when back in the States

 

[mikethompson]

The links work just fine
I've seen some ads from the pipedia site as well, but they always show a normal briar pipe, nothing with bakelite. Yours have a little more information.
I'm not sure I can take care of a 90 year old collectable pipe 8O

 

[fnord]

"I'm not sure I can take care of a 90 year old collectable pipe"
Of course you can!
Do you plan to smoke it or will this become a rack queen?
It'll present well amongst your display of pipes but the actual smoking might be the wild card.
I love the classy box from Czechoslovakia and that cigarette holder is really something. (But, Czechoslovakia? WTH?)
Nice catch, Mike.
Fnord

 

[mikethompson]

A cigarette holder - is that what that is?
Well for me, pipes are meant to be enjoyed just like cars are meant to be driven. Sure you can have a nice Porsche in your garage but if you never drive it what's the point?
The Czechoslovakia marking is strange too. I thought WDC was an American company?

 

[jguss]

WDC was always an American company. I think it's just the case that was manufactured in Czechoslovakia. And a decade earlier, before Versailles, it would have been marked Austria. You find the same thing with English pipes of similar vintage: cases marked with point of origin.

 

[mikethompson]

It's for sale now